I
© Marvel: Web of Romance
Writer: Tom Beland
Penciler: Cory Walker
Inker: Cliff Rathburn
Cover Date: April 2006
Background: I © Marvel was series of Valentine’s day special comics published in February and March. Web of Romance is Spider-man’s very own I © Marvel one-shot.
Plot: Spider-man is chilling with a webbed up Mandrill discussing what he should get his wife for Valentine’s day. Mandrill’s ideas are no help so Spider-man decides that the villain can wait for the cops on his own. Spider-man swings back to the Avengers tower and is fascinated with how well MJ gets along with the other New Avengers. Then he goes to take a shower and thinks about how amazing MJ is and how awesome it is that she can take care of herself.
Next we find Peter and Mary Jane in a greenhouse playing with webshooters. Peter is teaching her how to use them and she’s having a lot of fun. She asks him if he ever punk’d someone with the shooters and Peter shares the story from Amazing Spider-man #8 where he sent a web bat to break up Human Torch’s party.
A few days later and four days before Valentine’s day Power Man, Captain America, and Spider-man are fighting Dragon-man. Power Man hammers on Captain America’s shield because the dragon is vulnerable to sonic attacks. This tactic knocks over Dragon-man and gives Power Man time to quip with Spider-man on how he is amazed that Spidey can keep a relationship with a non super-powered woman.
Later at Avengers Mansion Peter asks Iron Man for help with dinner set up, and the green house is set up for Peter and MJ’s valentine’s day date. As a gift Peter gives MJ bracelet web shooters so that Mary Jane could really take care of herself. Mary Jane thinks it’s the best gift she ever got, and she already knows the first thing she wants to do with them.
The Human Torch walks towards his car when a giant web bat comes crashing into him, the Human Torch vows revenge. On the roof Peter and MJ enjoy their prank and afterwards lie down for some…well, you know…
Likes:
- Cute Valentine’s day theme story
- Very light and fun to read
- Some funny moments
Dislikes:
- I personally thought Mary Jane’s joke to Captain America about wanting to see him naked was a little over the top
- The art wasn’t really that good
Favorite Quote: Mary Jane: “You made a bat out of webbing? … And it flew?”
Rating: 4 out of 5. It was good comic for what it was supposed to be: A Valentine’s day one-shot. My only problem with this issue really was the art.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Underworld
#2 (of 5)
Title: Underworld part 2
Writer: Frank Tieri
Penciler: Staz Johnson
Inker: Tom Palmer
Cover Date: May 2006
Background: This miniseries is about some big time crook named Jackie Dio who was imprisoned for ten years and is now back on the streets. The Spider-Man part of this issue is in a flashback from ten years ago explaining how he was captured in the first place. Let us remember that ten years ago in Marvel time puts Spider-Man’s encounter with him sometime in the mid 1960s.
Plot: Jackie Dio thinks he’s about to meet one of his contacts but instead the cop cars encircle him. He spots a man whom he beat down and told to leave town (in another flashback last issue) in one of the cars, it is clear that he was the one that set him up. Jackie Dio takes down six or seven cops in mere moments and is planning to take down the weasel as well. However before Dio can pull the trigger his hand is covered with webbing. Spider-Man webs Dio up for the reinforcements that have already come onto the scene and leaves. Thus the main character of this miniseries is a criminal captured by Spider-Man early in his career.
Likes:
- Interesting because Jackie Dio is just a normal criminal like we are used to hearing about in real life but he is living in a super-villain age in the Marvel Universe. This presents humorous situations and rarely explored plot lines.
Dislikes:
- Spider-Man is on the cover of this issue even though he only appears in a flashback
Favorite Quote: Cop: “Yeah we read the Bugle pal…you’re probably in cahoots with him.”
Spider-man appearance factor: low
Rating: 2.5 out of 5. This comic pretty much defines average so it receives the middle score.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Cable
and Deadpool #24
Title: Sticky Situations
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciler: Patrick Zircher
Cover Date: March 2006
Background: Stuff is happening with Cable and Deadpool. Mainly Cable is using Deadpool to run an investigation on Project: Cone of Silence
Plot: Fort Dix- New Jersey: Deadpool is fighting some soldiers in the base to find out about Project: Cone of Silence. Manhattan- JJJ is explaining to Peter in simple terms why he should cease to ask for an advance when all of a sudden a reporter comes in and takes Peter on his “Gotcha!” assignment. The paths of Spider-man and Deadpool are about to intersect at a certain Queensboro bridge.
Deadpool jumps the van that Pete and the journalist are in, tosses Peter right out into the river, takes his position I the van, and directs the reporter where to drive. Apparently Deadpool had good reason for selecting this van because the journalist seems to know about Project Cone of Silence. Meanwhile Peter isn’t going to take being tossed out to die face down. While in midair Peter changes into Spider-man and spins a web to block the van from going any further. Deadpool gets out of the van and comes face to face with Spider-man, and after some witty banter they start fighting. Spider-man comes out on top at the end and Deadpool is getting desperate so he’s about to get a hostage when…well before we get to that lets mention that Cable is watching all of this and through his new friend Black Box he can absorb everything coming through the internet, basically Cable is in the know. Cable text messages the journalist to tell him that Deadpool can help him with the General, which is who the journalist’s assignment is. The journalist intervenes between Spider-man and Deadpool and the situation is diffused. Next panel is the next day’s Daily Bugle: The General busted for Project: Cone of Silence.
We find out that Project: Cone of Silence was of personal significance to Cable and we also find out that Nick Fury isn’t happy about the day’s events and he’s sending in Captain America…
Likes:
- DEADPOOL! Nuff said
- Fabian Nicieza is an amazing writer, Cable & Deadpool is about as funny as you can get without turning the comic into one big joke. Its good stuff and I recommend it.
Dislikes:
-The journalist was way too easily convinced (and eager) to work with a guy who just threw the photographer out the window and pointed a gun at him.
Favorite Quote: Spider-man: “Chicks don’t dig you and kids don’t wear Deadpool Underoos!”
Deadpool: “I’ve had like three action figures of me, and I heard they might make a plush toy too! And T-shirts! So…So there!”
Spider-man appearance factor: full guest appearance
Rating: 5 out of 5 webheads. Everything that a guest appearance should be. Plus seriously go out and read Cable & Deadpool, my recommendation.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Runaways
V2 #11
Title: East Coast/ West Coast part 3
Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Penciler: Adrian Alphona
Inker: Craig Yeung
Cover Date: February 2006
Background: The Runaways are the sons of villains who ran away from home. They have agreed to help Cloak who is accused of attacking Dagger. The New Avengers are after Cloak for this, but the truth is that someone is impersonating Cloak and the Runaways are intent on finding out whom.
Plot: There are several plots running throughout the issue, lets just focus on Spider-man’s since this is why we are here after all.
Gertrude and Victor meet up with Spider-man and they tell him that they are intent on helping Cloak. Spider-man reveals to them that he doesn’t always see eye to eye with the Avengers and Cloak may be, after all, innocent. So they walk off together…awww.
All three go to a sushi bar and chat for a bit. Spider-man lets on that he needs to get to Cloak before a “SWAT team or an angry mob gets to him first.” Gertrude and Victor don’t really have a chance to respond before fellow Runaways Chase and Nico come on the scene. Gertrude introduces Chase as her boyfriend, which is interesting because a few pages back Nico was trying to lock lips with him (oh snaps). Nico doesn’t trust Spidey and points her wand at him. When Spider-man asks her to put the wand down she lets loose with “hellfire” which comes out of her wand. Spider-man dodges it but is knocked out under her second spell “Dreamtime” which is supposed to drop him into sleep for a few hours. Chase and Nico inform Gertrude and Victor that they got the name of the Cloak impersonator, and indeed they have gotten that a few pages back from a drug dealer in a pimp hat and an iron hand. Apparently the impersonator works at a hospital and so we flash over to the hospital where Dagger is residing to find impersonator Cloak making an appearance.
Meanwhile Captain America, Ironman, and Wolverine are in the church that is protecting Cloak and talk to the priest and Molly (a Runaway). They want information and the priest refuses. The issue ends with Wolverine trying to grab Molly from the priest by force.
Likes:
- A fun story with good dialogue
- I like the relationships between the Runaways, there seems to be some complex characterization between them
Dislikes:
-Spider-man was knocked out in less than a minute by some amateur with a wand
Favorite Quote: Nico: “Hellfire”
Spider-man: “Ah good old hellfire, when regular fire simply won’t do.”
Spider-man appearance factor: nearly full
Rating: 4 out of 5 webheads. Can’t find too much wrong with it and its an enjoyable issue but its just not a 5.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Wolverine
#37
Title: Origins and Endings (Part 2 of 4)
Writer: Daniel Way
Breakdowns: Javier Saltares
Finishes: Mark Texeira
Cover Date: February 2006
Background: As a result of House of M Wolverine now remembers everything and he is looking for some answers, which is making governments around the world very worried. In the last issue of Wolverine, the rest of the New Avengers find this out through Emma Frost. Dugan, the SHIELD agent with them at the time, deduced that this is very bad for both SHIELD and possibly the New Avengers.
Plot: Dugan pauses his conversation with Japan’s General to tell Captain America that they need to talk. Captain America says that he is not worried about what is going to happen because, “We were soldiers…whatever we did back then, we did under orders.”
Quickly adding, “I wasn’t afraid of the consequences then and I’m not afraid of them now.” With that statement, the New Avengers (Spider-man included) leave Dugan alone. Dugan then resumes his conversation with the General from Japan. In Japan, by the way, Wolverine just launched an attack on the Prime Minister’s envoy.
The Prime Minister’s bodyguard nowadays is the Silver Samurai (last seen very recently in New Avengers). Wolverine and Silver Samurai fight for a while. Silver Samurai stabs Wolverine right through the belly, and Wolverine slices off Silver Samurai’s right arm. Wolverine gets the information he wants from him and goes on his way. He then passes out somewhere and has some flashbacks in his dreams. By the end of the issue Wolverine finds himself by a certain Department K.
Likes:
- I really like the art in this comic
- The fight between Wolverine and Silver Samurai
- Possible set up of a Captain America/Wolverine or a New Avengers/Wolverine Conflict
Dislikes:
- Well, Spider-man doesn’t really talk…
Favorite Quote: Wolverine: “Car sure is…blue…”
Spider-man appearance factor: low
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 webs. Excellent Plot. Amazing Art. This would have gotten a 5 under other circumstances but alas this is a Spider-man fan site and there wasn’t very much Spider-man in this issue.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
She-Hulk
V4 #3 (#100th She-Hulk issue)
Title: Time of Her Life
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Juan Bobillo
Inker: Marcelo Sosa
Cover Date: February 2006
Background: She-Hulk takes part in a strange court case involving time travel in which Hawkeye is one the jurors. She-Hulk tries to “save” Hawkeye by notifying him of his future, but she gets caught.
Plot: The self appointed guardians of time who form the TVA are putting She-Hulk on a trial in which she is pleading guilty. Her appointed lawyer is Southpaw from 15 years in the future. The room is filled with heroes from a point in their lives sometime in the past, including a Spider-man. Southpaw’s argument is that they can not erase She-Hulk from history because she had a large impact on history, so various heroes testify including Spider-man. At the end She-Hulk is not only released but she also gets to take a time traveling offender with her whom we don’t find out the identity of.
Likes:
- Nice way to celebrate a 100th issue anniversary
Dislikes:
- The story is just a little too silly
- Don’t even ask me where this fits into Spider-man’s continuity
Favorite Quote: She-Hulk: “Clint you sleep with Jan. Jan that makes you drink a lot of margaritas. Wanda, drunk-Jan says something to you that drives you crazy and then you start killing everybody!”
Spider-man appearance factor: low
Rating: 3 out of 5 webheads. It is not my cup of tea, but it is a nice story.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Son
of M #2 (of 6)
Title: Gene Pool
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Roy Allan Martinez
Colorist: Pete Pantazis
Cover Date: March 2006
Background: See Son of M #1…or at least the review I made for it.
Plot: So we’re back to where we left off after Son of M #1. Spider-man standing next to a broken Quicksilver who just tried to commit suicide with Crystal and Lockjaw (that’s the name of her big dog) popping in and getting the wrong idea about the situation. Spider-man explains to her exactly what happened but she doesn’t believe him and attacks him. Quicksilver meanwhile has regained consciousness and summons all the strength that he has left to tell Crystal that Spider-man is telling the truth. Crystal is shocked that Quicksilver almost killed himself but doesn’t hesitate too long before taking him (by teleportation) to Attilan, home of the Inhumans, leaving Spider-man behind.
The rest of this issue and most likely the rest of this miniseries do not contain Spider-man. So I’m not going to say too much more about the rest of this issue, but here is a little bit of what happens afterwards. Quicksilver is healed and spends some quality time with his daughter Luna. Then he demands the right to undergo a process that will restore his mutant powers, something that the Inhumans are capable of doing. The process involves exposure to a certain mist. The Inhuman leadership denies his request but he defies them and sneaks into the location with the mist. At first he is disappointed because nothing seemed to have happened and he returns home to find…himself?
Likes:
- Quicksilver back in his “never compromise” mode. Just like he did in House of M, Quicksilver defied authority in this issue. This gives us the realization that the results of House of M have done nothing to Quicksilver’s personality, which foreshadows even more destruction.
Dislikes:
- I don’t really like the Inhumans. I’m not going to elaborate except to say that in my opinion they are just a bunch of mutant wannabes.
Favorite Quote: Quicksilver: “I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS!!”
Spider-man appearance factor: moderate
Rating: 4 out of 5 webheads. Not as good as Son of M #1 but pretty good nonetheless.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy
Son
of M #1 (of 6)
Title: One Day in The Life of Pietro
Maximoff – HOMO SAPIENS
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Roy Allan Martinez
Color Artist: Pete Pantazis
Background: In House of M #7 (of 8) it was revealed that Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver was responsible for convincing his sister, the Scarlet Witch, to create the world of the House of M. Quicksilver convinced her that her reality altering powers were there for a reason and that she could use them to make everyone happy without any further fighting. Which is exactly what she did by altering all the heroes’ back stories and creating new identities for them (including our own Spider-man). Well that utopia didn’t really work and to make a long story short we suddenly find ourselves with a very angry Magneto attacking Quicksilver for crimes committed in his name. The Scarlet Witch then comes unto the scene and finds the badly beaten Quicksilver, and gives a speech to Magneto blaming the mutant genetics on their complicated relationship, ending it with the words “Daddy…No more mutants.” Thus the world of House of M comes to an end with most mutants losing their powers. Quicksilver is one of those mutants and now he is just another member of the Homo sapiens. Once the fastest man in the world, now just another slow Joe.
Plot: Before we begin, this issue is an account of a day in the life of Pietro Maximoff, there is a small digital clock on the tops of some of the pages to tell us how much time has passed since he has gotten out of bed. So lets go…
{00:00:01} Quicksilver wakes up and fails to swat a fly that is bothering him
{10:49:58} Quicksilver buys some groceries
{13:52:03} Quicksilver has a really bad fall and his groceries fall all over the place
{14:20:19} Meanwhile MJ is trying to find out why Peter is acting strange but he doesn’t want to talk about it with her right then and puts on his mask and goes out web swinging. While zipping across town he thinks about his life in the artificially created world of House of M and how happy he was with his wife Gwen and his son. Our wallcrawler has a lifetime of memories that never really happened.
{14:46:23} Quicksilver has recollected his groceries since we have last seen him and he is now back home, thinking to himself how they (him and the Scarlet Witch) were so close to making the dream work.
{23:38:11} Quicksilver feels lost and without purpose and goes out of his apartment.
{23:41:04} Suddenly Quicksilver spots some bullies giving a rough time to a kid who says he used to be mutant but lost his powers. The bullies want to make sure.
{23:46:06} The bullies rip the kid’s shirt and find that the kid has a tentacled creature for a belly
{23:47:00} One of the bullies tries to touch the tentacles but the tentacles lash back. The kid explains to them that he has no control over the tentacles.
{23:47:19} A second bully knifes a tentacle and Quicksilver steps in
{23:48:16} A bully knocks out Quicksilver and gets out a knife but it is webbed
{23:49:04} Spider-man is on the scene
{23:50:57} Spider-man knocks them out and bandages the kid
{23:51:38} Spider-man calls in an ambulance for the child
{23:54:43} Spider-man spots Quicksilver and for the next six minutes they have a talk where they both wallow in self-pity. Spider-man laments about the wife and son he will no longer see and Quicksilver vents about the loss of his powers. Quicksilver then asks if Spider-man can think of one reason he should go on living and Spider-man responds that he really can not. Promptly Quicksilver jumps off the building they were on prompting Spider-man to try to save him but he is too late.
{24:00:00} Spider-man is standing by a fallen Quicksilver when suddenly Crystal appears with her big dog and asks our hero, “What have you done to my husband?’
Likes:
- The time format was pretty cool, it reminded me of the TV series 24 of which I am a fan
- More development on the after affect of House of M on Peter. House of M #8 had Peter yelling a lot but not too much more. I was glad that someone followed up on this.
Dislikes:
- I can’t say I really like the art. It isn’t crap but it’s just not my thing.
- Spider-man seemed written slightly out of character in his talk with Quicksilver
Favorite Quote: Spider-man: “How about me, you selfish piece of garbage?!! I had a little boy, in this perfect world your sister made for us. The woman I loved, a woman who died was alive again. WE HAD A BABY!”
Rating: 5 webs out of 5. I want to give it less but I can’t. This issue was way more than I expected from a guest appearance in another character’s limited series. It made me look at House of M in relation to Spider-man entirely different. Suddenly Spider-man: House of M felt like it had a purpose and its purpose was this issue. I’m going to excuse Spider-man’s seemingly out of character talk with Quicksilver because he was under great emotional strain and now he has an entire new life within him which has influence on him. As for the art, it wasn’t bad just different. This issue has some really excellent stuff. If you read House of M and/or Spider-man House of M this is an absolutely necessary fallow-up.
Reviewed by: BtmxComedy